DS 740 

.5 

.J3 .M5 
1921a 
Copy 2 



The A B C's 0/ the 

Twenty-One Demands 



fiyj:THOMAS F. MILLARD 



Reprinted by 

The Chinese Students* Committee 

on 

Washington Conference 

(505 W. 124th St., N. Y. C) 

with tht conttnl of 

THE MEEKLY REVIEW OF THE FAR EAST 
Shanghai, China 



December 5. I'f21 



The A B C's of the 

Twenty-One Demands 



by 
Thomas F. Millard 

Author of 

"America and the Far Eastern Question" 

"Democracy and the Eastern Question" 

"Our Eastern Question" 

"The New Far East" 

etc., etc. 









Foreword 

The Chinese Students' Committee on 
Washington Conference 

by which this pamphlet is reprinted, is an organiza- 
tion of the Chinese students in the colleges and 
universities of America. 

The aims of the Committee were thus defined in 
its Articles of Organization : "The Chinese Students' 
Committee on Washington Conference aims to help 
crystallize Chinese public opinion as to what 
aspirations the Chinese people may justly entertain 
in regard to the Conference on the Limitation of 
Armaments with Discussion of Pacific and Far 
Eastern Questions and to voice those aspirations 
simply and clearly to the friendly people of America. 
It accepts no subsidies from any governmental 
agency; it has no affiliations with any political 
group at home or abroad." 



Introductory Note 



The purpose of this discussion of the Twenty-One Demands by 
Japan upon China in 1915 is to visualize to the Americans the exact 
meaning of this curious phase of Oriental diplomacy in its relationship 
to the traditional American policy of the Open Door of Equal Opportunity 
in the Far East. 

We have tried seriously by paraphrasing the Demands to show 
what they would have meant had they been applied to the United States 
instead of the Republic of China. 

Since the chief purposes back of the Conference on Limitation 
of Armament and Pacific Far Eastern Problems are in the re-establish- 
ment of the doctrine of the open door and to obtain international recogni- 
tion of the principle of the integrity of China, we hope that this booklet 
may be of interest in a true understanding of the subject. 

Other books in this series pertaining to the Conference which have 
recently been published are, "The Sliantung Case at the Conference," 
and "America's Position on the Shantung Question." 

— The Weekly Review of the Far East, Shanghai. 



The Weekly Review of the Far East is an American- 
owned and edited magazine devoted to the economic, 
political and social development of the Republic of China. 



77l« A B C'8 of the 

TWENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



Intelligent persons who are trying to follow the issues of the 
Conference on the Limitation of Armaments and Far Eastern and Pacific 
Ocean Questions at Washington hardly can have failed to notice the 
repetition by responsible Japanese statesmen, by the Japanese press, and 
with great frequency by writers of other than Japanese nationality, of 
the assertion that the policy of the Japanese Government is in no sense 
threatening to China, and is not conceived in a spirit of aggression upon 
the territorial integrity and political autonomy of China. 

It is in the acts of the Japanese Government that a true exposition of 
Japan's policy in China is to be found ; and the most recent expose of 
the real policy and objects of Japan visavis China is contained in the 
famous "Twenty-One Demands" made by the Japanese Government to 
the Chinese Government in 1915. 

The true content of those demands is discovered in a reading of their 
text, but before giving the text of the demands in full, a brief preliminary 
explanation will help in understanding their meaning and purposes. In 
1914, soon after the Great War began (disregarding the efforts of China 
and neutral nations which would have neutralized the German leased 
port at Tsingtau, China, without embroiling China in the scope of hostili- 
ties and thereby eliminated it as a factor in German operations for the 
period of the war), Japanese military forces had occupied, against the 
protest of China, the territory of the German leasehold on Kiaochou 
Bay, in Shantung Province, and had farther extended Japanese military 
occupation over almost the whole area of the Province, outside the 
German leasehold. This was the situation when, on January 18, 1915, 
the Japanese Minister at Peking, acting under instructions from his 
Government, privately presented to the Chinese Government a series 
of prof)osals, in five groups and twenty-one articles. 

The text of the original demands which follows is the ofiicial trans- 
lation into English published by the Chinese Government, and confirmed 
officially in various ways. As a device to make the true meaning to 



The A B C's of the TWiENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



China, and the purposes of the Japanese Government plain to American 
comprehension^ I have in parallel columns given, on the left the actual 
text of the demands, and on the right a paraphrase of the demands 
showing with approximate accuracy how those demands would have 
transposed had they been addressed to the American Government, instead 
of to China. 



THE REAL DEMANDS 



THE DEMANDS PARA- 
PHRASED. 



I. 



The Japanese Government and 
the Chinese Government being de- 
sirous of maintaining the general 
peace in Eastern Asia and further 
strengthening the friendly relations 
and good neighborhood existing be- 
tween the two nations, agree to the 
following articles : 

Article 1. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment engages to give full assent 
to all matters upon which the 
Japanese Government may hereaf- 
ter agree with the German Govern- 
ment relating to the disposition of 
all rights, interests and concessions 
which Germany, by virtue of trea- 
ties or otherwise, possesses in rela- 
tion to the Province of Shantung. 

Article 2. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment engages that within the 
Province of Shantung and along 
its coast no territory or island will 
be ceded or leased to a third Power 
under any pretext. 



The Japanese Government and 
the Government of the United 
States of America being desirous 
of maintaining the general peace 
in the Pacific Ocean and further 
strengthening the friendly rela- 
tions and good neighborhood exist- 
ing between the two nations, agree 
to the following articles : 

Article 1. The Government of 
the United States of America en- 
gages to give full assent to all 
matters upon which the Japanese 
Government may hereafter agree 
with the German Government re- 
lating to the disposition of all 
rights, interests and property which 
Germany, by virtue of treaties or 
otherwise, possesses in relation to 
the State of California. - 

Article 2. The American Gov- 
ernment engages that within the 
State of California and along its 
coast no territory or island will be 
ceded or leased to a third Power 
under any pretext. 



The A B C's of the TWENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



Article 3. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment consents to Japan build- 
ing a railway from Chefoo or 
Lungkow (in Shantung) to join 
the Kiaochou-Tsingtau Railway. 

Article 4. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment engages in the interest of 
trade and for the residence of for- 
eigners to open by herself as soon 
as possible certain important cities 
and towns in the Province of Shan- 
tung as commiercial ports. What 
places shall be opened are to be 
jointly decided (by Japan and 
China) in a separate agreement. 



Article 3. The American Gov- 
ernment consents to Japan building 
a railway from a port in California 
to be selected by Japan to join the 
Southern Pacific Railway System. 

Article 4. The American Gov- 
ernment engages in the interest of 
trade and for the residence of for- 
eigners to open as soon as possible 
certain important cities and towns 
in the State of California as com- 
mercial ports. What places shall 
be opened are to be decided in a 
separate agreement. 



II. 



II. 



The Japanese Government and 
the Chinese Government, since the 
Chinese Government has always ac- 
knowledged the special position en- 
joyed by Japan in South Man- 
churia and Eastern Inner Mongolia, 
agree to the following articles : 

Article 1. The two Contracting 
Parties mutually agree that the 
term of the lease of Port Arthur 
and Dalny and the term of the 
lease of the South Manchurian 
Railway and the Antung-Mukden 
Railway shall be extended to the 
period of 99 years. 

Article 2. Japanese subjects in 
South Manchuria and Eastern In- 
ner Mongolia shall have the right to 
lease or own land required either 



The Japanese Government and 
the American Government, since 
the American Government has al- 
ways acknoudedged the special 
position enjoyed by Japan in Alas- 
ka and in the States of Oregon and 
Washington, agree to the following 
articles : 

Article 1. The two Contracting 
Parties mutually agree that the 
term of the lease to Japan of the 
Port of Seattle and of the Alaskan 
and Northern Pacific Railways 
shall be extended to the period of 
99 years. 

Article 2. Japanese subjects in 
the States of Oregon and Washing- 
ton, and Alaska, shall have the 
right to lease or own land required 



The A B C's of the TW;ENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



for erecting suitable buildings for 
trade and manufacture or for farm- 
ing. 

Article 3. Japanese subjects 
shall be free to reside and travel in 
South Manchuria and Eastern In- 
ner Mongolia and to engage in 
business of any kind whatsoever. 

Article 4. The Chinese Govern- 
ment agrees to grant to Japanese 
subjects the right of opening the 
mines in South Manchuria and 
Eastern Inner Mongolia. As re- 
gards what mlines shall be opened, 
they shall be decided upon jointly. 

Article 5. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment agrees that in respect of 
the (two) cases mentioned herein 
below the Japanese Government's 
consent shall he first obtained be- 
fore action is taken : 

(a) Whenever permission is 
granted to the subject of a third 
Power to build a railway, or to 
make a loan with a third Power for 
the purpose of building a railway 
in South Manchuria and Eastern 
Irmer Mongolia. 

(b) Whenever a loan is to be 
made with a third Power pledging 
the local taxes of South Manchuria 
and Eastern Inner Mongolia as 
security. 

Article 6. The Chinese Govern- 
ment agrees that if the Chinese 
Government employs political, 
financial or military advisers or in- 



either for erecting suitable build- 
ings for trade and manufacture or 
for farming. 

Article 3. Japanese subjects 
shall be free to reside and travel 
in the States of Oregon and Wash- 
ington, and Alaska, and to engage 
in business of any kind whatso- 
ever. 

Article 4. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees to grant to Japan- 
ese subjects the right of exploita- 
tion of the mineral resources in the 
States of Oregon and Washington, 
and Alaska. As regards what re- 
sources shall be exploited, they shall 
be decided upon jointly. 

Article 5. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees that in respect of 
the (two) cases herein below men- 
tioned the Japanese Government's 
consent shall be first obtained be- 
fore action is taken: 

(a) Whenever permission is 
granted to the subject of a third 
Power to build a railway, or to 
make an international loan for the 
purpose of building a railway in the 
States of Oregon and Washington, 
and in Alaska. 

(b) Whenever a loan is to be 
issued for international subscrip- 
tion pledging the local taxes of the 
States of Oregon and Washington, 
or Alaska, as security. 

Article 6. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees that if the Amer- 
ican Government employs political, 
financial or militarv advisers or in- 



The A B C's of the TWIENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



structors in South ^lanchuria or 
Eastern Inner Mongolia, the Japan- 
ese Government shall first be con- 
sulted. 

Article 7. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment agrees that control and 
management of the PQrin-Chang- 
chun Railway shall be handed over 
to the Japanese Government for a 
term of 99 years dating from the 
signing of this Agreement. 



structors in Oregon, Washington, 
or Alaska, the Japanese Govern- 
ment shall first be consulted. 

Article 7. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees that control and 
management of the Oregon Short 
Line Railway shall be handed over 
to the Japanese Government for a 
term of 99 years dating from the 
signing of this Agreement. 



III. 



III. 



The Japanese Government and 
the Chinese Government, seeing 
that Japanese financiers and the 
Hanyehping Company have close 
relations with each other at present 
and desiring that the common in- 
terests of the two nations shall be 
advanced, agree to the following ar- 
ticles : 

Article 1. The two Contracting 
Parties mutually agree that when 
the opportune moment arrives the 
Hanyehping Company shall be made 
a joint concern of the two nations 
and they further agree that with- 
out the previous consent of Japan, 
China shall not by her own act 
dispose of the rights and property 
of whatsoever nature of the said 
Company nor cause the said Com- 
pany to dispose freely of same. 



The Japanese Government and 
the American Government, seeing 
that Japanese financiers and the 
United States Steel Corporation 
and its associated industries have 
close relations with each other at 
present and desiring that the com- 
mon interests of the two nations 
shall be advanced, agree to the fol- 
lowing articles : 

Article 1. The two Contract- 
ing Powers mutually agree that 
when the opportune movement ar- 
rives the United States Steel Cor- 
poration and its associated indus- 
tries shall be made a joint con- 
cern of the two nations and they 
further agree that without the pre- 
vious consent of Japan the Amer- 
ican Government shall not by its 
own act dispose of the rights and 
property of whatsoever nature of 
the said Corporation and its asso- 
ciated industries, nor to permit the 



The A B C's of the TA^/jENTY-ONE DiEMAiNDS 



Article 2. The Chinese Gov- 
ernment agrees that all mines in 
the neighborhood of those owned 
by the Hanyehping Company shall 
not be permitted, without the con- 
sent of the said Company, to be 
worked by other persons outside 
of the said Company; and further 
agrees that if it is desired to carry 
out any undertaking which, it is 
apprehended, may directly or indi- 
rectly affect the interests of the 
said Company, the consent of the 
said Company shall first be ob- 
tained. 



said Corporation to dispose freely 
of same. 

Article 2. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees that all mines in the 
neighborhood of those owned by 
the United States Steel Corpora- 
tion and its associated industries 
shall not be permitted, without the 
consent of the said Corporation, to 
be worked by other persons outside 
of the said Corporation; and the 
American Government further 
agrees that if it is desired to carry 
out any undertaking which, it is 
apprehended, may directly or in- 
directly affect the interests of the 
said Corporation, the consent of 
the said Corporation shall first be 
obtained. 



IV. 



IV. 



The Japanese Government and 
Chinese Government with the ob- 
ject of effectively preserving the 
territorial integrity of China agree 
to the following special Article : 

The Chinese Government enga- 
ges not to cede or to lease to a 
third Power any harbor or bay or 
island along the coast of China. 



The Japanese Government and 
the American Government with 
the object of effectively preserving 
the territorial integrity of the 
United States agree to the follow- 
ing special Article : 

The American Government en- 
gages not to cede or to lease to a 
third Power any harbor or bay or 
island along the coast of the United 
States. 



V. 



V. 



Article 1. The Chinese Central Article 1. The American Gov- 
Government shall employ influential emment at Washington, D. C, 



10 



The A B C's of the TWIENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



Japanese as advisers in political, 
financial and military affairs. 

Article 2. Japanese hospitals, 
churches and schools in the interior 
of China shall be granted the right 
of owning land. 

Article 3. Inasmuch as the 
Japanese Government and the Chi- 
nese Government have had many 
cases of dispute between Japanese 
and Chinese to settle, cases which 
caused no little misunderstanding, 
it is for this reason necessary that 
the police departments of import- 
ant places (in China) shall be 
jointly administered by Japanese 
and Chinese, or that the police de- 
partments of these places shall em- 
ploy numerous Japanese so that 
they may at the same time help to 
plan for the improvement of the 
Chinese police service. 

Article 4. China shall purchase 
from Japan a fixed amount of 
munitions of war (say 50 per cent. 
or more) of what is needed by the 
Chinese Government, or there shall 
be estabhshed in China a Sino- 
Japanese jointly worked arsenal. 
Japanese technical experts are to be 
employed and Japanese material to 
be used. 

Article 5. China agrees to 
grant to Japan the right of con- 
structing a railway connecting Wu- 
chang with Kiukiang and Nan- 
chang, and another line between 
Nanchang and Hangchow, and an- 



shall employ influential Japanese 
as advisers in political, financial 
and militar}' affairs. 

Article 2. Japanese hospitals, 
churches and schools in the United 
States shall be granted the right of 
owning land. 

Article 3. Inasmuch as the 
Japanese Government and the 
American Government have had 
many cases of dispute between 
Japanese and Americans (in Amer- 
ica) to settle, cases which caused 
no little misunderstanding, it is for 
this reason necessary that the po- 
lice departments of important cities 
in America shall be jointly adminis- 
tered by Japanese and Americans, 
or that the police departments of 
these places shall employ numerous 
Japanese so that they may help to 
plan for the improvement of the 
American police service. 

Article 4. The United States 
shall purchase from Japan a fixed 
amount of munitions of war (say 
50 per cent, or more) of what is 
needed by the American Govern- 
ment, or there shall be established 
in America a Japan-American 
jointly worked arsenal. Japanese 
technical experts are to be em- 
ployed and Japanese material used. 

Article 5. The American Gov- 
ernment agrees to grant to Japan 
the right of constructing a railway 
connecting Chicago with St. Louis 
and Pittsburgh, and another line 
between Pittsburgh and Baltimore, 



The A B C's of the TWIEINTY-ONE DEMANDS 

other line between Nanchang and and another line between Pitts- 
Chaochou. burgh and Charleston. 

Article 6. If China needs for- Article 6. If the United States 

eign capital to work mines, build needs foreign capital to develop 

railways and construct harbor works mines, build railways and construct 

(including dockyards) in the Prov- harbors (including dock -yards) in 

ince of Fukien, Japan shall be first the States of Virginia and North 

consulted. Carolina, Japan shall be first con- 
sulted. 

Article 7. China agrees that Article 7. The American Gov- 
Japanese subjects shall have the ernment agrees that Japanese sub- 
right of missionary, propaganda in jects shall have the right of Bud- 
China, dhist propaganda in the United 

States. 



Shantung Province has a population of about 30,000,000. The 
region has been an integral part of China continuously since before the 
dawn of authentic history, and is peopled today by the descendants of 
families who have lived there for thousands of years. The coastline con- 
tains a number of the best harbors in China, and the railways in the 
province penetrate directly to the heart of China and the whole region 
drained by the Yellow River. 

In respect to Group I. of the demands, regarding Shantung Province, 
the comparison with CaHfomia in the paraphrase requires one to take it 
as if, when the Great War commenced, German capital was invested in 
the Southern Pacific Railway and the entire harbor works of San Fran- 
cisco, and these interests were to be transferred to Japan by the terms of 
the proposed agreement. 

In the articles relating to the Hanyehping Company, the only 
important steel works in China, and controlling most of the yielding iron 
beds, it may be stated that these works are located at Hanyang, one of 
the three cities (Hankow, Wuchang and Hanyang) situated at the junc- 
tion of the Han and Yangtze rivers, and which together compare to 
Chicago in America, with this difference : Hankow is 650 miles from the 
mouth of the Yangtze, and is reached by ocean-going ships of consider- 
able tonnage, is in fact a sea port in the center of China. Taking advan- 
tage of the disorders in connection with the rebelHon of 1913, the Japanese 

12 



The A B C's of the T\\'(ENTY-ONE DEAIANDS 

Government erected permanent barracks at Hankow and still maintains 
there a military garrison, over the protests of China. The proposals 
regarding the Hanyehping Company should be read by Americans as if 
the Bank of Japan, or the Mitsui Company, owned a controlling interest 
in or a blanket mortgage over the property of the Steel Corporation, and 
had a garrison at Pittsburg to protect their interests. 

The paraphrase of articles of Group V. should be read as if Japanese 
in America were under "extra-territorial" provisions, and exempt from 
the processes of American law and courts, and could only be tried for 
offenses committed in America, in Japanese courts, or by Japanese con- 
sular officials. In this connection it is pertinent to remember that the 
Government of Japan denies to Chinese, and to Americans also, the right 
to own land in Japan ; and limits Chinese immigration to Japan. 

One of the outstanding iniquities of these demands is the fact that 
they nowhere mention or allow anything in the way of a quid pro quo, or 
compensatory equivalent, to China for what she is asked to concede to 
Japan. 

After the Chinese, contrary to the stern injunction of Japan, had 
informed the other Powers and the press of the presentation of the 
demands, diplomatic pressure and other factors induced Japan to 
moderate her demands, principally by the temporary abeyance of Group 
V. It is believed that British opposition to Article 5 of this Group, 
whereby Japan invaded the British "sphere" in the Yangtze, was in- 
fluential in causing the Japanese Government to abate somewhat. The 
Chinese Government retarded the negotiations as long as it could, but 
was compelled to yield finally to an ultimatum delivered by Japan. 



Text of Japan's Ultimatum to China 

The Imperial Japanese Government hereby again offer their advice 
and hope that the Chinese Government, upon this advice, will give a 
satisfactory reply by six o'clock p. m. on the ninth day of May. It is 
hereby declared that if no satisfactory reply is received before or at the 
specified time the Imperial Japanese Government will take such steps as 
they may deem necessary. 

Peking, May 7, 1915. 

13 



The A B C's of the TWENTY-ONE DEMANDS 



Extract from Text of China's Statement Re The Ultimatum 

It is plain that the Chinese Government proceeds to the fullest extent 
of possible concession in view of the strong national sentiment manifested 
by the people throughout the whole period of the negotiations. All that 
the Chinese Government strove to maintain was China's plenary sover- 
eignty, the treaty rights of foreign Powers in China, and the principle 
of equal opportunity. * * * ijj considering the nature of the course 
they should take in reference to the ultimatum, the Chinese Government 
was influenced by its desire to preserve the Chinese people, as well as a 
large number of foreign residents in China, from unnecessary suffering, 
and also to prevent the interests of friendly Powers from being imperiled. 
For these reasons the Chinese Government was constrained to comply in 
full with the ultimatum, but, in complying, the Chinese Government dis- 
claims any desire to associate itself with any revision which may thus be 
affected in the various conventions and agreements concluded between 
other Powers, with respect to the maintenance of territorial independence 
and integrity, the preservation of the status quo, and the principle of equal 
opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations in China. 



The monopolistic and exclusive advantages which Japan attempted to 
establish in China for its subjects, and a position of quasi-sovereignty over 
China, appear in the text of the Twenty-One Demands ; and they did not 
escape the notice of other Governments, 



Text of Note of the American Government 

In view of the circumstances of the negotiations which have taken 
place or which are now pending between the Government of China and 
the Government of Japan and the agreements which have been reached 
as a result thereof, the Government of the United States has the honor 
to notify the Government of the Chinese Republic that it cannot recognize 
any agreement or imdertaking which has been entered into, or which 
may be entered into between the Governments of China and Japan im- 

14 



The A B C's of the TWIENTY-ONE DEMANDS 

pairing the treaty rights of the United States and its citizens in China, 
the political or territorial integrity of the Republic of China, or the inter- 
national policy commonly known as the open-door policy. 

Dated May 16, 1915. 

An identical Note was at the same time handed to the Japanese 
Government by the American Embassy at Tokio. 



Applications to the Washington Conference 

The core of issues involved in this conference lies in the situation of 
China resultant in a large measure from Japan's policy as expressed in the 
original Twenty-One Demands, and in the agreement wrung from China 
under ultimatum. 

At the Peace Conference at Paris the Chinese Government contended 
that those agreements with Japan which followed the demands and the 
ultimatum were invalid, since they were obtained by intimidation. Fur- 
thermore, the Chinese Government contended, in respect to former lease- 
hold and vested interests of Germany in Shantung, that those reverted 
automatically to China when China declared war against Germany, there- 
by terminating all treaties between the two nations. 

Japan's claims were found (a matter disclosed to China, and to the 
American Government, for the first time after the Paris conference con- 
vened) to rest on secret agreements made between Japan and Great 
Britain, Japan and France, and Japan and Italy, during the war. 

When the Council of Four allotted the German so-called rights in 
Shantung to Japan, the Chinese Government refused to sign the Treaty 
of Versailles, and to this date never has acquiesced in its disposition of 
Kiaochou. 

The Senate of the United States adopted a reservation rejecting the 
Shantung articles of the treaty specifically. 

The Shantung question remains in this state, with Japan still in 
occupation of the Province. 



15 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS # 



028 361 860 1 




